Preserving Open Space
In the rush to pave over Utah and feed land sales greed, insufficient consideration is given to preserving natural open space.
Like Southern California, the people who profit from sprawl will be long gone in time. The mass development is like a swarm of locusts who feed on the crop and leave the damage in their wake. I'm sure Watts, California was a wonderful place to live once. The future of Salt Lake Valley deserves more.
A prime example is the soccer field complex that will take over the one-time state park and migratory bird area in Rose Park. Rather than preserve some of the last natural open space for generations and wildlife, another cookie cutter field will take its place.
When I was in my birth state of California, a man at a golf course I visited couldn't visualize the surrounding hills as open space whatsoever, nor the golf course as a place I hiked in my youth.
We need to preserve parts of the state so generations to come will see what land looks like without man's heavy handed stamp. I have little hope anyone will care about my words, with the exception of Ralph Becker, whom I thank for his years of dedication and forward vision.
Lucy Knorr
Paralegal / Photographer
Salt Lake City, Avenues
Ms. Knorr, Rep. Becker has been strongly committed to open space preservation. There are others on the Republican side as well. Republicans sponsored the Quality Growth Commission and the LeRay McCallister Critical Land Conservation Fund. We funded $3M for this budget year for the acquisition of critical lands in the state. That is a significant commitment, but clearly not enough to buy/preserve all the critical lands we would like to...even though the Fund leverages by combining with municipalities and private preservation groups as well as state agencies and landowners who want to preserve open space, habitat, watershed and other critical lands.
There continues to be a vigorous debate in the Legislature about the proper policy for preserving open space in a state which is owned almost 80% by government entities, principally the federal government, on which lands development is severely limited. Moreover, the majority in the Legislature has taken the tack that preservation is more of a local than a state issue. Park City and Draper, for instance have passed bonds to acquire and preserve open space for their communities.
Greg Bell
Utah State Senator, District 22
Like Southern California, the people who profit from sprawl will be long gone in time. The mass development is like a swarm of locusts who feed on the crop and leave the damage in their wake. I'm sure Watts, California was a wonderful place to live once. The future of Salt Lake Valley deserves more.
A prime example is the soccer field complex that will take over the one-time state park and migratory bird area in Rose Park. Rather than preserve some of the last natural open space for generations and wildlife, another cookie cutter field will take its place.
When I was in my birth state of California, a man at a golf course I visited couldn't visualize the surrounding hills as open space whatsoever, nor the golf course as a place I hiked in my youth.
We need to preserve parts of the state so generations to come will see what land looks like without man's heavy handed stamp. I have little hope anyone will care about my words, with the exception of Ralph Becker, whom I thank for his years of dedication and forward vision.
Lucy Knorr
Paralegal / Photographer
Salt Lake City, Avenues
Ms. Knorr, Rep. Becker has been strongly committed to open space preservation. There are others on the Republican side as well. Republicans sponsored the Quality Growth Commission and the LeRay McCallister Critical Land Conservation Fund. We funded $3M for this budget year for the acquisition of critical lands in the state. That is a significant commitment, but clearly not enough to buy/preserve all the critical lands we would like to...even though the Fund leverages by combining with municipalities and private preservation groups as well as state agencies and landowners who want to preserve open space, habitat, watershed and other critical lands.There continues to be a vigorous debate in the Legislature about the proper policy for preserving open space in a state which is owned almost 80% by government entities, principally the federal government, on which lands development is severely limited. Moreover, the majority in the Legislature has taken the tack that preservation is more of a local than a state issue. Park City and Draper, for instance have passed bonds to acquire and preserve open space for their communities.
Greg Bell
Utah State Senator, District 22
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